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Why You May Want to Kennel Small Breed Dogs

When many people think about kenneling dogs, they tend to think about large dogs and especially working breeds. However, little dogs can also be working dogs, and there are many other reasons why you may want to kennel your small breed dog. Here are some tips for kenneling little dogs to keep them safe and happy.

Small dogs are often not as destructive in the home as larger dogs, and they are often more likely to be thought of as house pets than big dogs are. So why have a kennel for small dogs? Here are a few key reasons why kenneling small dogs may be a good idea:

Safety Outdoors

Your small breed dog may love being outside, but being outside can be a lot more dangerous for a little dog than a larger dog. Even in a securely fenced backyard, the outdoors can pose serious risks to your small breed dogs.

 

Even owls or hawks can pose a risk to very little dogs. It can be very easy for a coyote, raccoon, or even a large cat to get into a yard that you believed to be securely fenced and attack your little dog. Therefore, if you would like to give your small dog some time in the sunshine and the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors without constant supervision, a kennel is a very good idea.

No Need to Hold it During the Day

Small dogs may have a harder time holding their bladder than large dogs. This makes smaller dogs more difficult to potty train and can also make accidents within the house more likely. Some breeds, like Italian Greyhounds, are notorious for being very difficult to potty train.

Unfortunately, providing a doggie door and letting your little dog out of your house whenever they like during the day can put them at risk to predators or even birds of prey. With a kennel for small dogs, you can put down a patch of artificial grass or a pee pad in the outdoor portion and give your little dog the freedom to go potty whenever they’d like in complete safety.

Your little dog will have the comfort of the inside space and plenty of room outside to go potty when they like, and you won’t have to worry about cleaning up potty accidents when you get home.

Noise Control

Just because a dog is small doesn’t mean they make little noise. Small breed hunting dogs like Beagles and Terriers can be some of the loudest dogs around. Kenneling your small breed dogs is a great way to provide them with comfortable housing and let them be their natural loud selves without making you crazy indoors.

 

 

Breeding or Working

Just as with large breed dogs, housing a lot of small dogs safely and comfortably within your home can quickly become unreasonable. Kennels are a great way to give each one of your dogs comfort and space.

A kennel can also give your small dog plenty of room to run around and stretch out in a comfortable indoor space. It’s a great way to separate females in heat from male dogs, keep dogs that are blowing their coat from making a mess of your house, and generally keep track of multiple dogs in an orderly way.

What Should the Kennel be Like for Small Breed Dogs?

Keeping your small dog in a kennel isn’t quite the same as keeping a large dog in a kennel. There are some things that you need to keep in mind for your small dog to ensure their safety and comfort.

  • Climate control. Small dogs may be more sensitive to changes in temperature than a larger dog would be. The interior portion of runs should always be precisely climate-controlled so that your little dog will be comfortable when they go inside.
  • Solid floors. Little dogs have little paws that can easily slip through the grates in non-solid floors. Therefore, choose a material like PVC decking that is easy to clean, not absorbent, maintains a cooler temperature in summer and is warmer in winter, and doesn’t have gaps for paws to slip through.
  • Protection from the elements. Your little dog may want to spend time outside, but they shouldn’t get rained on every time they need to go potty in the outside portion. Therefore, make sure that the outside portion of the kennel is covered. It’s a good idea to position your kennel in such a way that the morning and afternoon sun shines into it so that your dogs can get a little bit of sunshine as well.
  • Easy to go between outside and inside portion. Big dogs may be able to push through a doggy door that has more tension than what a small breed dog can push through, so make sure that the doggie door between the inside and outside portion of the kennel has enough tension to stay closed when not in use but also lets a small dog push through it easily.
  • Secure kennels. You may be amazed by how determined even a small dog can be in trying to get out of a kennel. A small dog may be able to climb fences and slip over the top of a door, squeeze underneath a gap between the fencing and the floor, or find some other creative way to escape. Be sure to look at the kennel from your dog’s perspective and look for any ways they could get out.
  • Escape proof entry. Any dog can find ways to squeeze past you when you open the kennel door, but small dogs are especially good at giving you the slip. It’s a good idea to choose a kennel that enables you to open the door to the kennel while having a second space to keep them in a confined main area in case they slip past you.

Can Multiple Small Dogs be Housed in One Kennel?

The kennel that you want to buy for your small dog may be able to house several dogs comfortably. Naturally, you may wonder whether you can keep several dogs in one kennel. After all, you’ll be able to house more dogs overall and dogs can entertain one another and keep each other company if kept in the same kennel.

 

If you have small dogs that get along well together, you may be able to keep them together. However, there are some potential issues that can come up. Aggression can come out unexpectedly when dogs are housed together.

If dogs are unfixed, a female going into heat can cause aggression throughout the entire pack, in both male and female dogs. Sometimes dogs that are kenneled together for too long can begin to show aggression. Dogs can also get into fights over high-value objects like toys or food.

The more time dogs spend out of the kennel, the more successfully they are likely to be able to be housed together within the kennel. However, it is up to you to keep a careful eye on your small dogs and ensure that everyone is getting along well in the shared kennel. Provide separate toys, beds, and anything else that the dogs could compete over. Feeding separately is a very good idea.

Kennel Your Small Dog Successfully

Kenneling can be a great option for small dogs, providing safety, comfort, and convenience. Make sure that you keep your small dog’s needs in mind when choosing a kennel and you will likely find that you are very successful in kenneling your small dog.

 

 

Learn More About Horizon Structures Prebuilt Kennels & Get Pricing… HERE

About Horizon Structures

Horizon Structures is now the industry’s leader in quality built horse barns, horse stables and run-in sheds. The high level of craftsmanship in our Amish built barns, horse stables, storage buildings, sheds and garages provide for a long lasting structure that comes with our Written Guarantee.

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